Digital Element announced the global extension of NetAcuity Edge, the first product of its kind to offer online marketers and advertisers a highly accurate international geographic data set, which targets down to ZIP code and postcode levels—providing unprecedented precision and granularity to geolocation. This non-cookie-based technology meets the pressing demand from e-tailers, advertising networks, web publishers, search engines, social networks and analytics platforms to offer a richer, safer, more personalized online experience while protecting user privacy.

Originally launched to the United States in 2009 and in the U.K. market in 2010, this extension of NetAcuity Edge now provides hyperlocal information to the rest of the globe, including Europe, Asia-Pacific Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East.

Digital Element has a healthy stable of customers, including leading online retailers that understand the value in using hyperlocal targeting to make the online shopping experience more personally relevant for their customers.

"We are finding that online retailers clearly recognize the need to be able to segment online audiences and target their messages, however previous technologies touting 'hyperlocal' geotargeting simply did not offer the reliability or accuracy that they required," said Frank Bobo, Vice President, Digital Element. "NetAcuity Edge erases the limitations once associated with ZIP and postal-code targeting and now offers technology with exceptional granularity—not only in the United States but around the world. Companies also feel comfortable knowing that no personally identifiable information is collected or stored."

Since its initial launch, NetAcuity Edge has revolutionized the geolocation space by providing the only validated, partner-contributed geographic ZIP code- and postcode-level data on the market. While IP targeting techniques traditionally rely on routing infrastructure analysis to an approximate city-level location, NetAcuity Edge maps anonymous IP addresses by taking an "outside in" approach of collecting data from the edge of the Internet (and combining it with insight gleaned from a network of global commercial partners). The result is the most granular and accurate hyperlocal geotargeting solution that maintains user anonymity and complies with the highest standards of end-user privacy.

"With competition intensifying in the digital landscape, this is a breakthrough moment for any business looking to gain a competitive edge by delivering truly relevant messages online," said Bobo. "Consumers are demanding nothing less than personalized content that preserves the integrity of their private information. With NetAcuity Edge, we've opened a number of doors previously closed to businesses by providing the only truly accurate ZIP code- and postcode-level solution on the market."